FIFA Soccer 06 Hands-On

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Because you can never get enough football, even if it's soccer.

By Aaron Boulding

All of us here at IGN world headquarters are rather removed and detached from the most popular sport in the world because we're far too busy to travel abroad and absorb proper football culture and we're too poor to afford satellite television or even that fancy $90/month cable package that would allow us to watch soccer 24/7. However, that doesn't mean we don't see a whole batch of enhancements and new additions to EA's popular FIFA Soccer franchise in the upcoming FIFA Soccer 06.

The Midfield General is the unifying theme this time around and this means you'll get improved ball control systems and animation so that you'll feel like the best player in the world as you create opportunities for your teammates and control the entire game. The first thing veterans of the franchise will notice is that the "through pass" button has been altered so that you're in control of the weight and velocity of your through pass. The system still handles the angle of your pass but you're going to have to learn the timing so that you know how hard to boot the ball through the opening that the CPU wants to use for you. This makes the old strategy of rapid fire through passing a little tougher now that it's not so automated.

The ball control system comes with improved player-ball physics too so new techniques like ball shielding and jostling will look and feel quite nice. You still have the first-touch and special moves on the right analog stick, but by toggling on on-the-ball control and manipulating the analog stick you can slow down your player's dribble and execute some slowed down, close-quarters finesse moves. Rolling over the top of the ball with his foot and stepping back to set up a defender are some of the handy moves your player will be able to pull off. Now you can slow the game down a little but still have a defense for defenders that come charging in ready to slide tackle the ball away from you. You can easily sidestep and maintain control of the ball now and then take off again dribbling once the danger is past you. Or you can slow the ball down and shield the ball from a defender with your players body. Finally, the developers at EA Canada have found a way for stronger but slower players to play a role in FIFA. Zinedine Zidane can be used effectively now as a powerful and skilled ball controller instead of avoided because of his lack of footspeed.

With Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney as the cover boys, however, there's still going to be plenty of opportunity to get into the open field and go wild here and there. The jostle control might be the most welcomed addition as you can finally have the ball at your feet in a dead sprint and still be able to defend yourself from a defender keeping pace with you. Using the right analog stick you can maintain top speed and throw your elbows into a defender trying to take the ball.

Again, stronger but slower players will still be of value since they can easily knock a faster but smaller defender off of them as they race in the open field. Combine the jostling control with the slowed down finesse button means a skilled gamer with a strong player with great ball control can dominate the midfield for 90 minutes.

The on the fly coaching enables you to switch your team tendencies in the middle of a game using the D-pad. Calling counter attacks and long passing attacks is a snap now since all you have to do is toggle it off or on. You can even do it in reaction to something you see opening up in front of you while in possession of the ball.